The spunky centenarian

"Hers is a heart that keeps on giving.” Centenarian Coomi Bhathena’s generosity and geniality is referred to by Putli Mirza in her write-up in the ZSO (Zoroastrian Society of Ontario) newsletter of August 2010. Perhaps magnanimity is also the reason that keeps Bhathena’s heart beating at 100.

"Nobody in our community has given so much, so selflessly,” observes Mirza adding, "Everywhere in our Darbe Mehr as you look around are things made and donated by Coomi Aunty. The beaded torans that grace our doorways, the vases big and small that she made in her ceramic classes, the red carpet in front of the dadgah room… Her biggest contribution was towards our scattering ground at Glen Oaks Memorial Gardens. She paid $ 10,000, the full amount for the entire plot.”

Every Navroz she would single-handedly cook for 350-400 people. "She has cooked more meals than anyone in our community for all our functions, gahanbars and jashans,” acknowledges Mirza who had the privilege of working with her for 25 years on the muktad committee. Even at 94 she served on the muktad committee until a stroke confined her to a wheelchair.

Her charity extended to India too. The income that she earned from sewing sudrehs, blouses and daglis and beading torans was used to sponsor three students at the Dadar Athornan Institute, with the nassessalars and the Damanwalla Clinic in Udvada being the other recipients of her largesse. Her rationale was simple: The Government of Canada looks after you in your old age so why do you need extra money?

Blessed with good vision she has never worn spectacles and continues to sew, knit and paint. Even at Cummer Lodge where she now resides she puts up her paintings for exhibition. Cummer Lodge, according to its website, provides 24-hour care for residents and offers them a full range of services, including medical, nutritional, social work, recreation, rehabilitation, spiritual and religious care. In this multicultural setting, residents of diverse religions and cultures live together while respecting each others’ beliefs and traditions. "Cummer offers a variety of culturally-appropriate services for its Jewish residents, who represent 25 percent of the total population, and maintains close ties with the Zoroastrian community,” states the website.

"Her birthday spanned two plus two days and she took it all in her stride as she did the last 100 years of her very full and interesting life,” mentions her granddaughter Jasmine Jasavala who regarded her forebear as her "beacon…an inspiration on how to really live life.” At the celebrations she "recognized all her family, friends who had not changed too much over the decades, her ‘old gang’ of cooks and volunteers at the Darbe Mehr and was in high spirits. She was overcome with all the attention, with the haars (floral garlands) and of course the crown,” reports Jasavala.

Her 100th birthday celebration at Cummer Lodge was planned as an open house on August 15, 2010 when the family invited all to tea and snacks. One luncheon was reserved exclusively for the family. On the fifth Gatha, August 18, she met all her friends and others she had worked with over the many years until she was disabled. About 150 community members gathered for a luncheon of mora daar-chaaval and patio with sev and dahi. On New Year, when there were about 250 in attendance, ZSO presented her a plaque.

Married at the age of 18 to Framroze Bhathena, the couple had six children. While four are in Canada, one is in USA and one in UK: Dinaz Keki Irani in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Bapsy Guard in Oakville, Ontario, Hosi in London, UK, Perviz Eruch Contractor in Prescot, Ontario, Aspi in Vancouver, British Columbia and Darius in Cale­don, Ontario. Ten grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren constitute her family too. Though she suffered years of hardship, she never asked for help from family or friends, mentions Mirza.

The third of eight children born in Jhansi she enjoyed the epithet Jhansi ki rani (queen of Jhansi) conferred on her. In the early 60s the seamstress left for England to hone her skills in sewing, leather and fur. She returned to India and worked as a matron at the Avabai Petit Orphanage where she taught arts, crafts, home science and cooking. She also taught handicrafts at the Bharati Vidya Mandir and Birla School and served as a Girl Guide leader. The intrepid lady learnt swimming and driving when she was in her 50s. When she migrated to Canada in the mid ’60s she was amongst the first Parsis to settle in Toronto.

Supporting herself by sewing sudrehs, daglis, sari blouses and other outfits, she prided herself on never wearing the same party dress twice! She enjoyed playing matchmaker and her business card and advertisements read, "Expert Tailoring, Alterations and Matchmaker.”

Coomi Bhathena (center) with members of the Zoroastrian Society of Ontario at the aramgah

Over the years she helped many new immigrants during their initial stay in Toronto, opening the doors of her humble apartment to several youngsters. A keen supporter of the Scout Group and the Seniors Group, she organized many day trips for the seniors and invariably participated in the gourmet fair organized by seniors where her bhel puri was a sure sellout. Her cooking demonstrations and toran making classes were equally popular with the seniors. At the age of 85 she organized a group tour for the seniors to Los Angeles and Las Vegas. An avid fan of "maaro (my) Bob Barker,” host of the longest-running daytime game show, "The Price is Right,” in North American television history, she arranged for tickets to the show for three consecutive days, hoping she and her group would be contestants, but did not succeed. Another highlight of her life was shaking hands with Pierre Trudeau (the 15th Prime Minister of Canada) after waiting for hours at the Maple Leaf Gardens to avail of this opportunity.